“Fight of the Night” honors went to lightweights Sherk and Griffin, who, despite wrestling pedigrees, engaged in a standup battle for three full rounds with Sherk walking away with a close unanimous decision victory.

“Knockout of the Night” went to the newcomer Dos Santos, who discatched heavyweight contender Fabricio Werdum with a highlight reel knockout early in the first round of their matchup.

“Submission of the Night” was awarded to lightweight Spencer Fisher, who submitted Shannon Gugerty via triangle choke late in the third round of their preliminary bout.

For a complete recap of UFC 90 “Silva vs. Cote” click here.

A near sell-out crowd of 15,359 fans attended the pay-per-view event, which was headlined by UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva retaining his middleweight title over Patrick Cote. UFC 90 also saw Thiago Alves top Josh Koscheck in the co-main event and Junior Dos Santos upset heavyweight contender Fabricio Werdum.

UFC President Dana White announced both figures during the post-event press conference.

“Silva vs. Cote” was the first UFC event to be held in Illinois and the promotion is likely to return to Chicago in the near-future.

For a complete recap of UFC 90 “Silva vs. Cote” click here.

The matchup headlined UFC 90 “Silva vs. Cote” at the sold-out Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois just outside of Chicago.

After a close first round that saw Silva do the most damage with a kick to the head in the final minute, the fight went to the ground in the second. Though Silva again did more damage Cote challenged Silva and went toe-to-toe with him on the feet.

But in the third round, Cote, who became the first fighter to make it past two rounds with Silva in the UFC, suffered a fight ending knee injury just 39-seconds into the frame and the bout was immediately halted, awarding the TKO victory to Silva.

Despite a close start to the fight, the crowd was displeased with both main event fighters and the anti-climactic finish. Silva showboated throughout the matchup, bowing to Cote at the end of the first round, offering to help him up off the ground, and playing games throughout, while Cote was booed for being unable to continue, despite doing his best to keep fighting.

After the fight, Silva apologized to the crowd for his performance and asked the fans not to boo, while Cote revealed that he likely tore his meniscus, re-aggravating a prior injury.

The disappointing main event finish dampened an otherwise solid night of fights that saw Thiago Alves top Josh Koscheck via unanimous decision, effectively assuring him of a welterweight title shot in his next bout, Gray Maynard wrestle his way to a unanimous decision victory over Rich Clementi, Junior Dos Santos upset heavyweight contender with a highlight reel uppercut knockout, and Sean Sherk and Tyson Griffin go toe-to-toe in an exciting bout to kick off the UFC 90 broadcast.

In preliminary action middleweight contender Thales Leites submitted Drew McFedries early in the opening round, Spencer Fisher earned “Submission of the Night” honors for his third-round triangle choke submission of Shannon Gugerty, Dan Miller bested Matt Horwich via unanimous decision, Hermes Franca topped Marcus Aurelio via unanimous decision, and Pete Sell took out Josh Burkman via unanimous decision.

OFFICIAL RESULTS

• Anderson Silva def. Patrick Cote via TKO (injury) — Round 3, 0:39
  UFC Middleweight Championship
• Thiago Alves def. Josh Koscheck via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
• Gray Maynard def. Rich Clementi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Junior Dos Santos def. Fabricio Werdum via KO (punch) — Round 1, 1:20
• Sean Sherk def. Tyson Griffin via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Thales Leites def. Drew McFedries via submission (read naked choke) — Round 1, 1:18
• Spencer Fisher def. Shannon Gugerty via submission (triangle choke) — Round 3, 3:56
• Dan Miller def. Matt Horwich via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Hermes Franca def. Marcus Aurelio via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Pete Sell def. Josh Burkman via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

UFC 90 is headlined by a middleweight title clash as 185-pound king Anderson Silva battles challenger Patrick Cote. Josh Koscheck vs. Thiago Alves and Fabricio Werdum vs. Junior dos Santos are also slated for the PPV main card.

QUICK RESULTS

• Anderson Silva def. Patrick Cote via TKO (injury) — Round 3, 0:39
  UFC Middleweight Championship
• Thiago Alves def. Josh Koscheck via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
• Gray Maynard def. Rich Clementi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Junior Dos Santos def. Fabricio Werdum via KO (punch) — Round 1, 1:20
• Sean Sherk def. Tyson Griffin via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Thales Leites def. Drew McFedries via submission (read naked choke) — Round 1, 1:18
• Spencer Fisher def. Shannon Gugerty via submission (triangle choke) — Round 3, 3:56
• Dan Miller def. Matt Horwich via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Hermes Franca def. Marcus Aurelio via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Pete Sell def. Josh Burkman via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

NEWS AND NOTES

• After their entrances Hermes Franca shoved Marcus Aurelio as he was circling the cage but the altercation was quickly broken up. The blood blood was very evident at the end of the matchup as Franca went to shake hands with Aurelio, but was rebuked and retaliated by flipping Aurelio off.
• There’s a minor lineup change as Tyson Griffin vs. Sean Sherk kicks off the UFC 90 PPV broadcast in place of Gray Maynard vs. Rich Clementi, which will presumably be the second televised bout.
• Though many predicted a boring decision for Sean Sherk vs. Tyson Griffin it was quite the opposite, as the lightweight wrestling specialists engaged in an exciting standup war to kick off the UFC 90 main card.
• Fabricio Werdum vs. Junior dos Santos has also been pushed ahead of Gray Maynard vs. Rich Clementi and is up next. The relatively-unknown Dos Santos is definitely capable of an upset in this matchup, training alongside Anderson Silva and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira among others. Wedum, though, is considerably larger than we’ve seen him in the past and has a distinct advantage if the fight goes to the ground.
• As predicted Junior Dos Santos earns a stunning upset, knocking out heavyweight contender Fabricio Werdum just over a minute into their matchup. As expected, Dos Santos avoided going to the ground with Werdum and it paid off as he connected with a highlight reel uppercut knockout that bloodied his opponent and forced the referee to step in and halt the contest.
• As the pace picked up late in the third round between Thiago Alves and Josh Koscheck and both fighters traded punches both Alves and the referee failed to hear the final bell and Alves got a late takedown as Koscheck eased up but Alves continued to fight.
• After his bout against Josh Koscheck, Thiago Alves was overheard saying that he likely suffered a broken thumb in the bout. With the win Alves has now won seven-straight bouts, including recent wins over fellow-contenders Karo Parisyan, Matt Hughes, and Josh Koscheck, and is likely next in line for a welterweight title shot.

ROUND-BY-ROUND COVERAGE

ANDERSON SILVA VS. PATRICK COTE
UFC Middleweight Championship

ROUND 1 — Little action in the first as both fighters look for opening. Silva throws several big low kicks early. Closing in on the final minute of the opening round both fighters open up and Silva connects first with a kick to the chin  but Cote weathers and fires back with a solid combination of his own. Another nice leg kick by Silva as Cote remain active. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Silva.

ROUND 2 — Anderson Silva claims the second round with better striking, but Cote is holding his own against the champion. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Silva.

ROUND 3 — Cote makes UFC history by making it to the third round with Silva. Silva misses with a jab and Cote moves forward but falls to the canvas in pain. Cote’s blown out his knee and the fight is immediately waved off.

Anderson Silva def. Patrick Cote via TKO (injury) — Round 3, 0:39

JOSH KOSCHECK VS. THIAGO ALVES

ROUND 1 — They touch gloves and both fighters open with punches. Alves stuns Koscheck with a punch and he continues to pour it on with strikes, but Koscheck quickly recovers. Head kick by Alves. Right by Koscheck. Low kick and punch combo by Alves. Koscheck counters with another combo led by a big right. Another leg kick by Alves. Yet another right by Koscheck. Alves throws a kick to the body but Koscheck catches it and pushes Alves against the fence but he escapes and they separate. More leg kicks by Alves to close out the first. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Alves.

ROUND 2 — Koscheck misses an early uppercut but he continues to push forward and lands an overhand right and leg kick. Alves counters with more leg kicks. Head kick by Koscheck followed by a pair of knees. They clinch against the cage but Alves backs out. More kicks for Alves but Koscheck returns a kick to the body. Uppercut by Alves followed by an inside leg kick. They exchange strikes then Koscheck shoots in for a takedown but Alves defends well, remaining on his feet and clinching against the fence. They tussle for position against the cage to round out the second. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Alves.

ROUND 3 — Alves staggers Koscheck early with an extended series of strikes, including a big knee, but he again recovers and clinches with Alves. Alves accidentally pokes Koscheck in the eye as they separate from the clinch, but they quickly resume. Alves continues to connect with kicks. Koscheck accidentally pokes Alves in the eye and the fight is again halted, but quickly restarts. Leg kick after leg kick connects for Alves. Huge leg kick nearly knocks Koscheck to the canvas. Another big kick for Alves. Both fighters trade punch combos in the waning seconds and the final bell sounds. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Alves.

Thiago Alves def. Josh Koscheck via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

GRAY MAYNARD VS. RICH CLEMENTI

ROUND 1 — They touch gloves and it’s a tenuous start as both fighters get a feel for one another. Both start to open up a minute in with Maynard connecting first. Clementi comes back with kicks to the body. Good right by Maynard connects. Takedown attempt is stuffed by Clementi. Maynard throwing big punches but little connects. Clementi keeps the pressure on and looks for an opening but Maynard secures a takedown and works from Clementi’s half guard. Punches and elbows from the top by Maynard as Clementi looks for submissions and escapes. They exchange on the ground to close out the first round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Maynard.

ROUND 2 — Maynard opens up with punches. Low kick by Clementi. Maynard presses Clementi to the cage but they separate. They trade punches. Maynard shoots and secures another takedown. Maynard gets a guillotine and Clementi gets back to his feet but the submission is still in place. Clementi escapes but Maynard puts him back on the ground and avoids a triangle attempt. Clementi continues to work for a submission but Maynard escapes. Maynard attempts ground and pound from half guard but Clementi does a good job neutralizing him. Body shots from Maynard. Clementi does his best to escape but Maynard maintains control on the ground for the remainder of the round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Maynard.

ROUND 3 — Another quick takedown for Maynard to open the final round as he slams Clementi to the canvas. Clementi attempts to escape but Maynard is too strong and skilled and keeps him on the bottom. Maynard passes to side control then Clementi escapes back to his feet underneath, but Maynard qickly puts him back on the ground. Clementi transitions to the top and nearly takes Maynard’s back, but Maynard shrugs him off and puts Clementi on his back again before the bout comes to a close. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Maynard and the bout 30-27 Maynard.

Gray Maynard def. Rich Clementi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

JUNIOR DOS SANTOS VS. FABRICIO WERDUM

ROUND 1 — Tentative strikes from both fighters to open the bout. Werdum throws kicks to the body early and Dos Santos fires back a low kick of his own. Wedum closes and tries to clinch, but Dos Santos backs away, preferring to strike. It’s a highlight reel knockout as Dos Santos floors Werdum with a huge uppercut and finishes him off with punches on the ground to force the referee to intervene.

Junior Dos Santos def. Fabricio Werdum via KO (punch) — Round 1, 1:20

SEAN SHERK VS. TYSON GRIFFIN

ROUND 1 –Sherk and Griffin touch gloves and both fighters trade punches. Sherk immediately shoots for a takedown and presses Griffin against the fence. Sherk quickly takes his back and gets both hooks in but Griffin shakes him off. Hard low kick by Griffin. Sherk counters with a right and uppercut then shoots and secures another takedown. Griffin gets back to his feet and works knees to the body of Sherk from the clinch. They separate and Griffin lands a right. Sherk with an uppercut, then they trade kicks. Crisp and accurate striking from both fighters. Griffin misses with a head kick. Griffin shoots for a takedown and Sherk stuffs it. Griffin appears tired and Sherk again takes his back but gives it up and returns to striking. Big left by Griffin is countered by a combo from Sherk as the exciting first round concludes. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Sherk.

ROUND 2 — They pick up where they left off and trade punches then Sherk gets another quick takedown but Griffin works back to his feet but gets punished by Sherk. Combo by Sherk has Griffin backpeddling. Both fighters working solid combinations with Sherk seemingly getting the better of the exchanges. Body shots by Griffin followed by a pair of leg kicks. Griffin fades as the round wears on and Sherk senses it and goes for a takedown but backs away and fires punches. Griffin counters, missing another head kick. Griffin drops his hands and Sherk connects with single punches late. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Sherk.

ROUND 3 — Griffin swings for the fences early and surprises Sherk, but he recovers and counters with a hard combo of his own. They settle in and trade more wild punches. Combination after combination for Sherk connect and Griffin offers little in return. Griffin with a kick and body shot. Sherk misses with a knee. More combinations for Sherk as the bout enters the final minute. Griffin lands another leg kick but Sherk has him backpeddling with a last-second combo. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Sherk and the bout 30-27 Sherk, though the fight is much closer than the score indicates and is a definite "Fight of the Night" candidate.

Sean Sherk def. Tyson Griffin via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

THALES LEITES VS. DREW MCFEDRIES

ROUND 1 — Leites quickly gets McFedries to the ground, takes his back, and locks in a rear naked choke that forces McFedries to tap early in the opening round.

Thales Leites def. Drew McFedries via submission (read naked choke) — Round 1, 1:18

SPENCER FISHER VS. SHANNON GUGERTY

ROUND 1 — Low kicks from Gugerty to open the fight. They clinch and Gugerty secures an early takedown. Fisher works back to his feet and connects with an elbow in the clinch. Another hard elbow by Fisher. Fisher takes control and works strikes, while Gugerty looks for another takedown. Fisher drops Gugerty with a right late and Gugerty unsuccessfully works for another takedown. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Fisher.

A large cut over Gugerty’s left eye is checked between rounds, but he’s cleared to continue.

ROUND 2 — More kicks from Gugerty to start the second, but he slips to the canvas then gets back to his feet and clinches with Fisher. They separate and Fishers gets a takedown and works a guillotine, but Gugerty escapes. Back on their feet, Gugerty throws high kicks, but Fisher gets another takedown and ends the round on top in Gugerty’s guard. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Fisher.

ROUND 3 — Fisher and Gugerty clinch early, then separate. More kicks from Gugerty, who eventually gets Fisher back to the canvas. Fisher locks on a triangle choke from the bottom and Gugerty initially survives, but Fisher repositions and Gugerty is forced to tap late in the third.

Spencer Fisher def. Shannon Gugerty via submission (triangle choke) — Round 3, 3:56

DAN MILLER VS. MATT HORWICH

ROUND 1 –Miller gets an early takedown and tees off with rights on the ground. Up kick by Horwich connects, then Miller escapes an omoplata attempt. Horwich works back to his feet and lands knees in the clinch, but Miller gets him back to the canvas. Miller works short punchs from the top while Horwich looks for submissions. They again return to their feet and clinch. Miller connects with a combo then gets another takedown. Horwich again secures an omoplata, but Miller escapes before the first round comes to a close. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Miller.

ROUND 2 — Miller is stunned by an early left, but recovers and secures another takedown. They quickly return to their feet and Horwich attempts an armbar but Miller escapes into Horwich’s guard. Horwich transitions to the top then takes Miller’s back and attempts a rear naked choke, but Miller defends. Horwich claims full mount and Miller is again forced to give up his back. The round comes to a close as Horwich is working for another rear naked choke. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Horwich.

ROUND 3 — A takedown by Miller opens up the third. Another attempted omoplata by Horwich is escaped by Miller. From Horwich’s rubber guard Miller presses Horwich against the fence, but he initially shows little offense. Upon the crowd’s urging Miller picks up the pace and works sone ground and pound opening a cut up under Horwich’s eye before the final bell sounds. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Miller and the bout 29-28 Miller.

Dan Miller def. Matt Horwich via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

HERMES FRANCA VS. MARCUS AURELIO

ROUND 1 — Franca connects early with kicks, while Aurelio counters with jabs. Franca continues with kicks and wild punches. Aurelio continues with jabs. Straight right, low kick combo by Franca connects. Franca is more effective and aggressive as the slow opening round comes to a close. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Franca.

ROUND 2 — More kicks from Franca to start the second, who changes things up with a mixture of high and low kicks. Aurelio attempts a takedown, but Franca defends and counters. Aurelio returns to the jab, but Franca continues to cause damage to Aurelio’s legs with kicks. Right by Aurelio connects, but Franca counters with yet another kick. The crowd gets restless as the ground fighters continue to stand and exchange. The fighters trade late, but little lands until Franca scores another low kick just before the bell. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Franca.

ROUND 3 — Franca is aggressive early with more kicks, but Aurelio gets a takedown into half guard and works ground and pound from the top. Franca tries to return to his feet but Aurelio connects with an accidental-but-illegal knee while he’s on his way up and the bout’s temporarily halted to allow Franca time to recover. Aurelio has a takedown stuffed once the action resumes and the fighters separate. Franca attempts a late combo but misses and the final bell sounds. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Franca and the bout 30-27 Franca.

Hermes Franca def. Marcus Aurelio via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

PETE SELL VS. JOSH BURKMAN

ROUND 1 — Burkman and Sell circle early and get a feeling for the fight. They trade kicks then clinch against the fence. They quickly separate and Burkman connects with a big right then secures a takedown. Burkman throws elbows from half guard then allows Sell to return to his feet. Another takedown by Burkman, but Sell has full guard and Burkman again allows him back up. Foot stomps from Burkman as the fighters clinch again. The fighters exchange briefly before the close of the first round. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Burkman.

ROUND 2 — The fighters trade punches with Burkman getting the better of the exchange. Sell looks for a takedown but Burkman fends it off. Burkman counters Sell with a left and connects, but Sell quickly recovers. Sell fires back and Burkman trips backwards, then they clinch. Sell starts to connect with more frequency as Burkman begins to gas. More offense from Sell late, but Burkman closes out the round with a late takedown. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Sell.

ROUND 3 — Burkman lands an early knee then Sell looks for a takedown but Sell stuffs it again. After a brief exchange Sell again tries for a takedown but it unsuccessful. Neither fighter is able to connect but Sell is agressive. Another knee from Burkman following an unsuccessful takedown attempt. Sell connecting with the jab. Burkman is gassed and backs away from Sell, who finally secures a takedown late in the fight and works a neck crank as the fight concludes. MMAFrenzy.com scores the round 10-9 Sell and the bout 29-28 Sell.

Pete Sell def. Josh Burkman via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

All other fighters, including headliners Anderson Silva (184) and Patrick Cote (183), successfully made weight.

• 185: Anderson Silva (184) vs. Patrick Cote (183)
  UFC Middleweight Championship
• 170: Josh Koscheck (170) vs. Thiago Alves (171)
• HWT: Junior dos Santos (234) vs. Fabricio Werdum (256)
• 155: Tyson Griffin (155) vs. Sean Sherk (156)
• 155: Gray Maynard (155) vs. Rich Clementi (156)
• 185: Drew McFedries (186) vs. Thales Leites (186)
• 155: Shannon Gugerty (156) vs. Spencer Fisher (155)
• 185: Matt Horwich (186) vs. Dan Miller (185)
• 155: Marcus Aurelio (156) vs. Hermes Franca (156)
• 170: Pete Sell (170) vs. Josh Burkman (171)*

* Burkman initially weighed in at 173 pounds, two pounds over the 171 pound welterweight limit, but successfully weighed in at 171 pounds on his second attempt and will not be subject to any penalties.

The weigh-ins, which are free and open to the public, will take place at the Chicago Theater beginning at 4pm CT. Doors to the theater open at 3pm so be sure to arrive early to get a good seat, as the venue typically fills up fast.

The weigh-ins will be streamed live online at UFC.com and MMAFrenzy.com will have live coverage of the event beginning at 5pm ET.

Also, don’t forget to stop by MMAFrenzy.com this Saturday for live coverage of UFC 90 “Silva vs. Cote” beginning at 8pm ET.

UFC 90 is slated to feature:

• Anderson Silva vs. Patrick Cote
  UFC Middleweight Championship
• Josh Koscheck vs. Thiago Alves
• Rich Clementi vs. Gray Maynard
• Fabricio Werdum vs. Junior dos Santos
• Sean Sherk vs. Tyson Griffin

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Thales Leites vs. Drew McFedries
• Spencer Fisher vs. Shannon Gugerty
• Dan Miller vs. Matt Horwich
• Hermes Franca vs. Marcus Aurelio
• Josh Burkman vs. Pete Sell

Fellow welterweight contender Josh Koscheck has been tapped to replace Sanchez and take on Alves in the main card bout.

“There is nothing worse than having a great fight and then having one of the fighters drop out at the last second,” said UFC President Dana White in the announcement. “But the one thing the UFC has proven time and time again is our ability to replace fights with ones as good as or better than the original fight, and we’ve done it again with the highly-ranked Josh Koscheck stepping up to replace Diego Sanchez against welterweight wrecking machine Thiago Alves. Hats off to Josh and Thiago, as not many fighters would agree to a matchup this tough on such short notice.”

A middleweight championship clash featuring 185-pound king Anderson Silva and challenger Patrick Cote headlines UFC 90.

Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for extensive coverage of UFC 90, including live fight-night results.

Sources confirmed the replacement with MMAFrenzy.com earlier today.

Reljic was forced to withdraw from the bout yesterday after suffering a back injury.

McFedries, a member of Miletich Fighting Systems, is an even 3-3 inside the octagon with wins over Alessio Sakara, Jordan Radev, and Marvin Eastman and losses to Martin Kampmann, Patrick Cote, and ,most recently in September at UFC Fight Night 15, Mike Massenzio.

After dropping his UFC debut to Martin Kampmann in late-2006, Leites has won four-straights fights, including a controversial split decision win over Nate Marquardt in June that saw Marquardt dominate the bout but lose two points, and ultimately the decision, due to illegal strikes.

For the latest UFC rumors check out the MMAFrenzy.com MMA rumors section.

MMAFrenzy.com (http://mmafrenzy.com) today confirmed the injury with Reljic’s manager, Zoran Saric.

A native of Croatia, Reljic is undefeated in eight professional bouts, including an impressive second-round TKO of Wilson Gouveia in his UFC debut at UFC 84 in May.

A replacement has not yet been determined.

UFC 90 “Silva vs. Cote” takes place on October 25th at the Allstate Arena in Chiago, Illinois and includes Anderson Silva vs. Patrick Cote, Diego Sanchez vs. Thiago Alves, Fabricio Werdum vs. Junior dos Santos, and Sean Sherk vs. Tyson Griffin.